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PET rabbits or guinea pigs?

New2this<3

New2this<3

New member
I am thinking of getting my sister a rabbit or guinea pig(s) for christmas. She is 16 and will ne almost 17 by then. I have been looking through care sheets a little and different rabbit breeds but I was wondering if anyone on here has a rabbit or guinea pig. Do guinea pigs do okay alone or only with a friend? I have read they are group animals. Do you like more than the other? I tried to search it but only found post on feeder rabbits lol. Thanks for reading everyone.
 
I have had both and I prefer rabbits. They are less nervous and less noisy. I always had more than one guinea pig so I can't say if they need a buddy or not.

I really miss my rabbit, he was such a sweetie. I hope to have another rabbit again someday :)
 
Well, I will go the opposite. All the rabbits I ever had were very mean and would always try to scratch and bite. The guinea pig my mom used to have was opposite and would come when called and was litter box trained.
 
I've had good luck with guinea pigs as well. They are quite sociable, and as long as someone is interacting with them (person or pig) they are very nice to have around, aside from the constant poopage...
 
I am biased here, because I've only ever had guineas... LOVED them! I was unsuccessful with litter training them (I had two sisters), but they were hilarious! They were so social, and would come out when someone entered the room. They knew feeding time with the greens was at 5:30pm sharp when the fridge door opened -- and squealed. Too cute!! One was very excitable and ran and jumped all over, and the other was more of a lap pet. She would even come when I called her and patted at my chest (if I was kneeling on the ground she would climb right up into my arms).

I think it all depends on what your sister would like, though. I'm sure both have pros and cons. Both will be somewhat smelly (but not if the cage is kept thoroughly cleaned, perhaps. Getting mine at 11, I wasn't always the best at that, and so my room had a bit of a smell...), but guinea pigs don't need as much space. If you only want one, a male is better than a female for that (males probably should not be kept together). Bunnies can get along better with cats and dogs, if you have those kinds of pets. Keep in mind that both guinea pigs and rabbits need pellets and hay to eat, plus shavings (they go through A LOT more than snakes... a lot), and absolutely must have fresh greens and fruits/veggies on the daily. If price is an issue, I think that's where I'd look first, is if there is a huge cost difference between feeding the two.

Hope this helped a bit :) Good luck!
 
I haven't had either but.. NH93 makes Guinea pigs sound awesome, ashame im allergic to rodents now so you'll only find dead ones in the freezer here.. ;)
 
I've had both as well, and have to say my pigs had more personality. Their squeals can be annoying if you prefer a quieter pet, but they loved human companionship and interaction.

You will need to be sure they get the right pellets, and greens to supplement, because like us, they cannot manufacture their own vitamin C.

I guess the only downside is their vocalization, and as others have mentioned, they do poop a lot!

This was my Ellie Mae; she loved to burrow under blankets, clothing, etc.



No offense to bunny lovers; just my preference. :)

Kathy
 
Thank you guys I will. Definitly talk to her and see what she thinks she will like. My cousins has rabbits when we were younger but I know she likes her friends guinea pigs. Insomniac does your little one do okay on her own? I have heard female rabbits have to be spayed even if they are kept alone to prevent cancer. Is that true?
 
New2this<3 said:
Insomniac does your little one do okay on her own? I have heard female rabbits have to be spayed even if they are kept alone to prevent cancer. Is that true?
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Ellie Mae is now deceased, but she was fine by herself. I got her out every day, so she got plenty of interaction. I also had a male, but had him housed separately - didn't want more guinea pigs! They were in the same room, and could "talk" to each other.

I've also heard that female rabbits should be spayed, but the only one I kept years ago was a male. I don't know how common uterine cancer in rabbits is, but spaying would definitely eliminate the problem.

Have you given any thought to adopting a rabbit or guinea pig from a local humane society or rescue group? I would think that any female rabbits would be spayed before they are rehomed. The last thing they want are more babies returned.

Kathy
 
I'm sorry for your lose. I heard uterine cancer is a problem in older female rabbits. She is leaning towards a guinea pig but I told her research care sheets on both like the vitamin C or rabbits digestive systems. I'm not sure if I want to get one from a rescue or like rescue one of cl. Or one that just needs a home.
 
Here is the most spoilt, doesn't think he is a rabbit, can be a pain in the butt, and is totally loved well by most here lol
 

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I've kept bunnies before when I was a younger child. Not recommended for younger children, my first bunny (a Netherland dwarf) would get tired of me carrying her everywhere and would nip. However, she ended up escaping the hutch, and we fixed it and got a dwarf hottot. She was the sweetest thing in the world, until she developed a neurological disorder and we had to put her down.

All things considered... both are edible, so choose which one would make a better meal! :dgrin:

I'm buying a house soon, and I will start breeding New Zealand White rabbits for meat. Well, the babies will be food. The breeders will be pets. I'm looking forward to keeping bunnies again~
 
I don't think she is too young for a bunny she is almost 16 and I have a corn at 18. And the bunny or guinea pig will be an inside pet so no eating lol.. and I will still be living here for the 1st 6or 7 months if she does need any help. Congrats on buying your house by the way. I'm sorry for the lose of your little one.
 
Justine, thought I should mention, guinea pigs aren't technically rodents! ;) They don't have quite the right genes -- and have you noticed, no tails!! Pretty neat. They are actually classified somewhere in between rodents and mammals, almost their own group. Maybe you wouldn't be allergic! :)
I think bunnies would be cool too, but I have heard that spaying and neutering can be a good thing. You don't normally have to worry about that with guineas, at least.
 
If we do choose to get a guinea it would only ne one at first so I wouldn't bother getting it spayed or neutered.
 
NH93 said:
Justine, thought I should mention, guinea pigs aren't technically rodents! ;) They don't have quite the right genes -- and have you noticed, no tails!! Pretty neat. They are actually classified somewhere in between rodents and mammals, almost their own group. Maybe you wouldn't be allergic! :)
I think bunnies would be cool too, but I have heard that spaying and neutering can be a good thing. You don't normally have to worry about that with guineas, at least.
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hmm, that's interesting.. I have only ever had one really bad reaction to a hamster, which doesn't have a tail either ;) aha but I think its the urine and feces that sits in the bedding..
it was when I cleaned my sisters cage and I couldn't breath afterwards.. and when I touch them and touch my face my eyes swell and get ichey..

I have never held a Guinea pig or any small furry animals since then so they may be alright.. but the once a week cage cleanings and having to feed fresh veggies wasnt my thing.. lol I used to have a snail that I had to feed fresh veggies to and became a pain after awhile.

lol, soo I'm quite happy with my snake for now, I still want to add a African House Snake to my little family..
 
Well OF COURSE snake are better ;)
I won't get into the biology of guinea pigs but I hope you only ever have that one reaction to hamsters!

For the fresh veggies and whatnot, I'd more often just feed my piggies the left overs of things - brocollie stocks, the stems and ends of strawberries, carrot leaves, etc. I mean, I'd through in cut up apple and dark leafy greens daily as well, but it was a lot better than wasting the ends of fruits/veggies! They're like composters. I'm sure rabbits are the same way though. I think their feeding habbits and nutritional needs are identical to guinea pigs.
 
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